PHL thanks Australia for breaking cigarette trade impasse with Thailand

The Philippines thanked Australia for facilitating the negotiations to re-establish trust and confidence with Thailand, a major step in a bid to end the 14-year trade dispute between the two Asean countries over cigarette taxes row.

The Philippines and Thailand have been at loggerheads over the 5 percent tariffs imposed on imported Philip Morris cigarettes to Thailand. Manila insisted the cigarettes should have been exempted from the tariffs, when the Asean Free Trade Area was fully implemented. The two have escalated their trade dispute before the World Trade Organization, docketed as case DS371. 

The WTO dispute settlement body and later on, the appellate body, ruled in favor of the Philippines and declared Thailand guilty of protecting domestic cigarettes. Thailand refused to comply with the WTO ruling.

Last June 7, the Philippines and Thailand signed a bilateral…